Surrey's poppy appeal launch was marked in style by the Royal British Legion (RBL) on Friday morning.

The Very Reverend Dianna Gwilliams, Dean of Guildford Cathedral, and Dame Sarah Goad, the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, were among the spectators who witnessed a spectacular Jump 4 Heroes parachute landing in the cathedral grounds.

Due to the rather cloudy conditions, only one of four parachutists found a clear enough window in which to jump out of their aircraft.

Stuart Albon, formerly a Royal Engineer, took the plunge and navigated perfectly to land with absolute precision.

After removing his gear, he was introduced to Dame Sarah and presented her with the first poppies for 2014 to mark the start of this year's appeal.